Quick detach connector

ABSTRACT

A quick detach connector for an imaging device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional App. No.62/330,006, filed Apr. 29, 2016.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a quick detach connector.

A conventional camera carrying system, such as affixing a shoulder strapto opposing ends of the camera, can make it problematic to compactlystore the camera in a case when not in use. Also, the shoulder straptends to hang up on portions of a tripod when affixing the camera to atripod. Further, the shoulder strap tends to inhibit the ability toquickly obtain images when there is limited time in which to obtain animage.

What is desired, therefore, is a simplified system for a panoramicdevice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a quick detach connector with ascrew and mounting plate.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the connector of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 illustrates a right side view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front side view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a left side view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates a back side view of the connector of FIG. 1,

FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of the screw of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 illustrates a right side of the screw of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cut away view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 illustrates an anchor suitable for engagement with the screw ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a quick detach connector 100 may include a mountingplate 200, a screw 300, and a strap anchor 400 (see FIG. 11). Themounting plate 200 may include a substantially planar upper surface 202that may be positioned in a face-to-face abutment with the lower face ofan imaging device, such as a camera. A top view of the quick detachconnector 100 is illustrated in FIG. 2. With a face-to-face abutment,the imaging device may be supported by the mounting plate 200. Themounting plate 200 may be generally square or generally rectangular inshape with substantially planar side surfaces 204A, 204B, 204C, 204D. Aright side view of the quick detach connector 100 is illustrated in FIG.3. A front side view of the quick detach connector 100 is illustrated inFIG. 4. A left side view of the quick detach connector 100 isillustrated in FIG. 5. A back side view of the quick detach connector100 is illustrated in FIG. 6. The mounting plate 200 preferably includesrounded corners 205A, 205B, 205C, 205D. A bottom view of the quickdetach connector 100 is illustrated in FIG. 7. The mounting plate 200may have any suitable peripheral shape and may have any suitable sidesurfaces.

The mounting plate 200 may include a raised flange 206 that extendsabove the upper surface 202. The raised flange 206 preferably includes asubstantially planar interior surface 208. The raised flange 206 ispreferably positioned so that it extends up the side of the imagingdevice with the interior surface 208 thereof in face-to-face abutmentwith the side surface of the imaging device. The interior surface 208provides an anti-twist rotation structure for the mounting plate 200.Accordingly, in a preferred engagement, the upper surface 202 is inface-to-face engagement with the lower surface of the imaging device,while simultaneously, the interior surface 208 of the raised flange 206is in face-to-face engagement with the side surface of the imagingdevice. Typically, the interior surface 208 is in abutment with thefront surface of the imaging device (typically below the lens) or therear surface of the imaging device (typically below a viewfinder). Insome embodiments, the raised flange 206 may be omitted, in whichpreferably, the upper surface 202 includes a flexible pad supportedthereon to inhibit rotation of the mounting plate 200. The mountingplate 200 may be detachably secured to the imaging device using athreaded portion 302 of the screw 300, described in more detail below.

The mounting plate 200 may define a set of dovetail grooves 210A, 210B,210C, 210D each of which may include a lower inclined surface 212A,212B, 212C, 212C, such as generally 45 degrees, and may include an upperinclined surface 214A, 214B, 214C, 214D, such as generally 45 degrees.With pairs of opposing dovetail grooves 210A, 210C and 210B, 210D themounting plate 200 is suitable to be engaged with a Really Right Stuffor Arca Swiss compatible quick release system using either of the pairsof dovetail grooves 210A, 210C and 210B, 210D. One exemplary quickrelease system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,172 which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Also referring to FIG. 7, the mounting plate 200 may include asubstantially planar lower surface 216 that may be positioned in aface-to-face abutment with the upper face of a quick release device,such as a quick release clamp. With the face-to-face abutment, theimaging device may be supported by the mounting plate 200. The lowersurface 216 may be non-planar, if desired.

The threaded portion 302 of the screw 300 may be engaged with a threadedopening defined by the imaging device to detachably engage the mountingplate 200 to the imaging device. Also, the threaded portion 302 of thescrew may be engaged with another plate, that is in turn, attached tothe imaging device. Referring also to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the screw 300may include a recessed portion 304 and a substantially planar uppersurface 306. The threaded portion 302 may be screwed into the threadedportion of the imaging device preferably until the upper surface 202thereof comes into secure face-to-face engagement with the lower surfaceof the imaging device. The recessed portion 304 increases the likelihoodthat the screw 300 will be suitably engaged with the imaging devicewithout becoming stuck thus making it difficult to remove the quickdetach connector 100 from the imaging device. Preferably, the uppersurface 306 of the screw 300 does not come into face-to-face engagementwith the lower surface of the imaging device when the quick detachconnector 100 is engaged therewith.

Referring also to FIG. 10, the mounting plate 200 defines a slot 218that is suitable to permit the screw 300 to slide in an axial directionwithin. The slot 218 may define a vertical wall 220 therein. The screwmay include an upper flange portion 308 that is preferably sized to beapproximately the same width as the slot 218 and preferably sized tohave approximately the same curvature as the ends of the slot 218. Inthis manner, the screw 300 may slide back and forth relative to the slot218 so that the mounting plate 200 may be positioned at a desiredlocation on the lower surface of the imaging device. In addition, thescrew 300 may slide back and forth relative to the slot 218 so that themounting plate 200, an in particular the flange 308, may also bepositioned at a desired location adjacent or in face-to-face abutmentwith the side surface of the imaging device. This also facilitatesflexibility in the quick detach connector 100 being suitable fordifferent imaging devices. Other configurations of providing at leastpartially retained movement of the screw relative to the mounting platemay be used, as desired.

The screw 300 may include another set of threads 314 on the upper flange308. The interior of a portion of the slot 218, such as an end portion240, may include a corresponding set of threads. The threads 314 of thescrew are preferably sized to be rotatably engageable with the threadsof the end portion 240, thereby permitting the screw 300 to rotatablypass through so that it is retained by the mounting plate 200. Also, thethreads 314 of the screw permit the screw 300 to rotatably pass throughso that it is selectably removable from the mounting plate 200. Duringnormal operation of the quick detach connector 100, the screw 300 iseffectively captured by the mounting plate 200. Also, the screw 300 maybe retained by using other structures by the mounting plate 200.

The screw 300 may held captive under normal operating conditions byincluding the upper flange 308, a recessed portion 310 and a lowerflange 312. The recessed portion 310 is maintained within the mountingplate 200 by a protruding interior flange 230. In this manner, the lowerflange 312 prevents the screw 300 from being removed from the mountingplate 200 in an upwardly direction, and the upper flange 308 preventsthe screw from being removed from the mounting plate 200 in a downwardlydirection. Other structures may likewise be used, as desired, tomaintain the screw from being readily disengaged from the mountingplate.

The screw 300 may define an internal hex structure 320 that may beaccessed through a lower opening 322 of the screw 300. A hex wrench maybe inserted through the lower opening 322 of the screw 300 and engagedwith the internal hex structure 320. By rotating the hex wrench engagedwith the internal hex structure 320, the screw 300 may be tightened andloosened from being engaged with the threaded opening of the imagingdevice. Other internal and/or external structures may be defined by thescrew 300 to facilitate the engagement and disengagement of the screw,and the mounting plate, with the imaging device.

Referring also to FIG. 7, the mounting plate 200 may include a lowerrecess 232 that receives the lower flange 312. In this manner, the lowerflange 312 may be inhibited in its movement by the lower recess 232.Also, the lower flange 312 may be inhibited in its movement by thecombination of the upper flange 308 and the vertical wall 220. Also,preferably the thickness of the lower flange 312 is less than the depthof the recess 232 so that the lower flange 312 does not extend beyondthe lower surface 216 and inhibit a suitable interconnection between thequick detach connector 100 and a quick release mechanism or anothersupport. Further, depending on the structure of the screw 300 and themounting plate 200, the lower flange 312 may limit the movement of thescrew 300 relative to the mounting plate 200, when the screw 300 isengaged with an imaging device.

The screw 300 may define at a lower portion thereof an internal groove330, that is preferably an arc. The internal groove 330 extends betweena lower internal surface 334 and an upper internal surface 332. Theupper internal surface 332 and the lower internal surface 334 preferablyare both substantially tubular, both having the same diameter, and bothbeing aligned with one another. The combination of the upper internalsurface 332, the lower internal surface 334, and the internal groove 330collectively form a receiver 350 that is preferably symmetrical about acentral axis.

Referring to FIG. 11, an anchor 400 may include a tubular member 402that includes a diameter and a length suitable to be received within thereceiver 350. The anchor 400 may include one or more at least partialball shaped members 404. The ball shaped members 404 protrude from thesurface of the tubular member 402. The ball shaped members 404 are sizedto be suitable to be received by the internal groove 330 when fullyprotruded from the surface of the tubular member 402. The position ofthe ball shaped members 404 protruding from the tubular member 402 arepreferably located such that when the tubular member 402 is receivedwithin the receiver 350 the ball shaped members 404 extend into theinternal groove 330. To engage the anchor 400 with the receiver 350, abutton 406 may be depressed which permits the ball shaped members 404 tosufficiently recede within the tubular member 402 and upon releasing thebutton 406 when the anchor 400 is suitably inserted within the receiver,the ball shaped members 404 protrude to engage with the internal surface322. With the anchor 400 engaged within the receiver 350, the anchor 400does not readily become detached until the button 406 is depressed. Theanchor 400 is also rotatably engaged with the screw 300 in such a mannerthat turning the anchor 400 does not substantially result in a similarturning of the screw 300, which would result in tightening or looseningof its engagement with the imaging device. The anchor 400 may include apivotably engaged handle 410. In a similar manner, the handle 410 isalso rotatably engaged and/or pivotably engaged with the screw 300 insuch a manner that turning or pivoting the handle 410 does notsubstantially result in a similar turning of the screw 300, which wouldresult in tightening or loosening of its engagement with the imagingdevice. The handle 410 may be engaged with a strap. In this manner, theimaging device, together with the quick detach connector 100 and theanchor 400, may be used as a shoulder strap or otherwise.

The detailed description, above, sets forth numerous specific details toprovide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However,those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention maybe practiced without these specific details. In other instances, wellknown methods, procedures, components, and circuitry have not beendescribed in detail to avoid obscuring the present invention.

All the references cited herein are incorporated by reference.

The terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoingspecification are used as terms of description and not of limitation,and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, ofexcluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portionsthereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is definedand limited only by the claims that follow.

We claim:
 1. A connector for an imaging device comprising: (a) amounting plate defining an upper surface and a lower surface; (b) athreaded member engaged with said mounting plate and a threaded portionat a terminal portion of said threaded member suitable for detachableengagement with said imaging device; (c) said mounting plate defining apair of inclined edges; (d) said mounting plate defines a slot suitableto permit the threaded member to slide in an axial direction within; (e)a flange that extends above said upper surface; (f) wherein said flangeincludes a substantially planar interior surface suitable to bepositioned so that it extends up a side surface of said imaging devicewith said substantially planar interior surface in face-to-face abutmentwith said side surface of said imaging device wherein said threadedmember defines a first recessed portion adjacent to said threadedportion, where said threaded portion has a diameter greater than saidfirst recessed portion, an upper flange portion adjacent to said firstrecessed portion that defines a set of flange threads, where said upperflange portion has a diameter greater than said first recessed portion,a second recessed portion adjacent to said upper flange portion, wheresaid upper flange portion has a diameter greater than said secondrecessed portion, a lower flange portion adjacent to said secondrecessed portion, wherein said lower flange portion has a diametergreater than said second recessed portion.
 2. The connector of claim 1wherein said mounting plate includes a substantially planar said uppersurface that is suitable to be positioned in face-to-face abutment witha lower face of said imaging device.
 3. The said connector of claim 1wherein said mounting plate is at least one of generally square andgenerally rectangular in shape.
 4. The connector of claim 1 wherein saidmounting plate includes four substantially planar side surfaces.
 5. Theconnector of claim 1 wherein said inclined edges of said mounting platedefines a pair of dovetail grooves.
 6. The connector of claim 1 whereinsaid mounting plate defines four dovetail groves with a respective oneof said dovetail grooves on a respective side of said mounting plate. 7.The connector of claim 1 wherein said lower surface is suitable to beplaced in face-to-face abutment with a quick release device.
 8. Theconnector of claim 1 wherein said threaded member defines a recessedportion adjacent to said threaded portion and an upper surface opposingsaid threaded portion.
 9. The connector of claim 1 wherein said threadedmember defines an upper flange portion size to be approximately the samewidth as said slot.
 10. The connector of claim 1 wherein movement ofsaid threaded member within said slot of said mounting plate adjusts therelative location of a flange that extends above said upper surface whena threaded portion of said threaded member is engaged with said imagingdevice.
 11. The connector of claim 1 wherein said threaded memberdefines an internal hex structure.
 12. The connector of claim 1 whereinsaid mounting plate defines a recessed portion therein proximate saidslot.
 13. The connector of claim 1 wherein said threaded member definesa receiver therein with a pair of opposed recesses suitable to receive apair of ball shaped members.
 14. The connector of claim 9 wherein saidupper flange portion defining a curvature that is substantially the sameas a curvature of the ends of said slot.
 15. A connector for an imagingdevice comprising: (a) a mounting plate defining an upper surface and alower surface; (b) a threaded member engaged with said mounting plateand a threaded portion at a terminal end portion of said threaded membersuitable for detachable engagement with said imaging device; (c) saidmounting plate defining a pair of inclined edges; (d) said mountingplate defines a slot suitable to permit the threaded member to slide inan axial direction within; (e) wherein said threaded member defines afirst recessed portion adjacent to said threaded portion, where saidthreaded portion has a diameter greater than said first recessedportion, an upper flange portion adjacent to said first recessed portionthat defines a set of flange threads, where said upper flange portionhas a diameter greater than said first recessed portion, a secondrecessed portion adjacent to said upper flange portion, where said upperflange portion has a diameter greater than said second recessed portion,a lower flange portion adjacent to said second recessed portion, whereinsaid lower flange portion has a diameter greater than said secondrecessed portion.
 16. The connector of claim 15 wherein said slotdefines slot threads, said flange threads are engageable within saidslot threads in such a manner that said flange threads can pass from oneside of said slot threads to another side of said slot threads, saidslot is sized in such a manner that said flange threads are incapable ofpassing from said one side to said another side without being engagedwith said slot threads.
 17. The connector of claim 16 wherein engagementof said flange threads results in a recessed portion of said threadedmember being retained from being freely removable from said slot.